Automobile lock



April 13 192s. 1,581,035

T, J. STEPHENSCN AUTOMOBILE LOCK Filed July 21 19.25

gg ze 19 f 14 K5 'I *1 E kx t 1' w 3 WITNESSES INVENTOR (.154 a @agb/du n Thomas ...1. EIEp'hEnaurL ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

Vmiroir/IAS J. STEPHENSON, or MONTROSE, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE LOOK.

Application mea any 21, 1925. sei-iai up. 45,030.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it'linown that I, THOMAS J STEPHEN- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montrose, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Locks, of which the following is a specification. i l

My invention relates to improvementsin automobile locks ofthe type of construction which comprises a locking member for holding an operating lever of a motor vehicle or like mechanism against movement from a desirable position, as for example, a locking memberffor holding the. emergency brake lever of an automobile against movement in the usual slot in the floor board of the automobilek from position to hold the brakes applied. l

VThe present' invention may be termed a species which" belongs to the same class as the invention which is disclosed in my prior application for Letters Patent of the United States for improvement in brakelocksdiled April 5, 1923, i Serial #634,625, and the present invention consists in the combinations, constructions `and arrangements here- 'in described and claimed. An object of the present invention is the provision of anautomobilelock ofthe character described which affords facilities for releasably holding an loperating lever of a motor vehicle against movement from a `given position andwhich' isadjusta'ble for any purpose, as tocompensate for wear, to *hold the` operating lever againstmovement from any one of a plurality of positions, or to adapt the device for use with the Operating lever` of any one of 'a plurality of motor vehicles or like mechanismsof'diferent constructions but all'of that' type having the operating lever swingable in a slot in a floor board or like part. Y i

"Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,i'n which:

Figure 1` is a fragmentary vertical section through ya portion? of Y a' floor4 board. and through `the improved lockV shown ini position in a slot in the Hoor board to hold an operating lever against 'swinging in oney directionfin said slot, l j f, N

Figure 2 is a section substantially along the line .2-2' of Figure 1, 'Y i section- Figure 3 is a view to disclose hidden, Y v Y Figure 4; is a section along vthe lined- 4 of Figurel, Y l 1 l Figure 5 is a perspective view of the base secdtion of the locking'block ofthe device, an v i i parts'which would otherwise be upper section ofthe locking block.

InFigures 1 toV L1` inclusive, lIshow .at 1 a portion of a fioor board which may'be a part of a motor vehicle, `and which may be supported on frame'members suchy as indicated at` 2 in Figures 1 and A. ,"The floor board is` formed with avertical slot at 3 through which a lever 4 extends,and along which the lever 4 is adapted lto swing. In the lpresent instance, the lever 4 may be the similar to Figurei2,' `with'element-s of 'the vlocking device omitted t vFigure 6 is a perspective view? the "7a emergency brake' lever of the motor vehicle. 1

A quadrant orother 'arcuately curved bar convexlyl curved wall yof the bar.v 5` turned securedl underneath the floor board lsub- Y stantially in Vtheplane of the slot 3 with the upward for@ PUTPSG t0 be presently'dm scribed.

The invention provides a looking block adapted to be partiallyY received in the slot 3` between the lever 4 and one end offthe slot for holding the lever from lswinging toward said one end ofthe slot. This locking block comprises a base section 6 formed with a reduced portion 7 which' extends from one end of the base section for part of the length ofthe latter, and is adapted to `iit in theslot` 3 between the inner end of the slot and 'the lever 4, landso thatthe body of the base section 6overlaps the "floor board forwardly of the slot 3 as clearly shown in Figure' 1; `The base. section'is formed with` a vertical notch 8 in its forward end for section "9 ywhichfis adapted to be superimposed on the base sect-ion: 6 andis formed with a longitudinally extending series of .teef-h1() on its lower facefor engaging with cooperating teeth 11 on the upper-faoe'of engaging withthe lever 4, this notch8 eX- the base section 6. Eachtooth 11'Von the base section 6 has a substantially vertical wall at its rearward endy and hasfthefother wall thereof inclined downwardly and forwardly while each tooth 10 on the lower face of the upper section 9 has the rear ,wall

thereof substantially vertical and the other wall thereof inclinedupwardly and rearwardly, whereby sliding movement of theV upper section 9 on the base section 6in a forward direct-ion will be prevented when the upper section 9 rests flatwise on the base section although sliding movement of the upper ,section 9 on the base'section 'in a rearward direction can be conveniently and easily eected.v Y i l The upper section 9 is formed withv a vertical notch 12 inits forward end similar to the notch 8 and also for engagingwith the lever 4. The base sectionis formed with a vertical opening 13 extending through the .toothed portion thereof and also through the reducedlower end portion 7l of the baseVv section, and the upper vsection 9 is formed witha longitudinally extending vertical slot 14 which extends' through the toothed portionof the upper section and with Iwhich the Vopening 13V vis alined. A holdin@ bar 15 has al Vshankuextending through the 'opening 13, and t-he slot14 and `has a hook 16 at its lower end for engaging with the lower edge portion of the arcuately curved bar 5. The shank of the holding bar 15 is formed with a longitudinally extending series of transverse openings 17. The shackle 18 of a padlock 19 may be inserted through any one of the openings 17, and may cooperate with spacingv washers vsuch as indicated at 2O and 21, respectively,- to

:hold th-e holding bar 15 against downward movement from thegposition 'shown in Figure 1, and therefore the locking block 6-9 `will beheld aga-inst displacement from position to extend in to the slot 3y in the floor board between the lever 4 and the forward fend of the slot 3.

The upper section 9 of the. locking block lis positively prevented from moving upward from 'ad]usted position on the base i section 6 by means of a clamping'screw 22 -having a` shank extending through the slot 14 and inythr'eaded engagement with a vertical opening 23 in the base section 6 forwardly of the opening 13,.the upper end portion of thev slot 14 being widenedfor enlarged laterally at 24 to engage with opposite edge portions ofthe head 25 ofthe clamping 'screw and to permit the clamping screw to be screwed to y such position that .the upper face of the head of the clamping screw will be substantially fiushwitli; the

jupper face ofthe 'upper section 9 of the .clamping block, and the. .upper section '9' of the clamping block Awill be clamped between the head of the screw and the lower or base section 6 ofthe block in adjusted'posi-tion 'on t-he base section of the looking'block.

. The-upper end portion of the holdingbar -liigure' 1. `sufficiently .to permit the upper section 9 of lever 4 may beassumed to'be in position `to hold the brakes of the motor vehicle applied when the lever extends through the rearward port-ion of the slot 3 as shown in The screw, Q9. then is kloosened the locking block to be moved on the base Section ofthe locking `block unt-il the slot or ynotch 12 in the rearward end of the upper section 9 of the Vlocking block vis in engagement withthe lever 4. The screw 22 then is tightened and the sections of the locking 4block will `comprise a substantially rigid `u'nit which will positively prevent the lever 4f from swinging Vforward along the slot 3 from position to hold the brakes of the Amotor y vehicle applied.

.'Movement 'of the upper sectionv 9 of the locking block from adjusted position Aon the kbase ,section of the 'lockinggblock is prevented, notonlyl by the clamping screw Q2, but bythe washers 20-21 land the padlock 19 which also lfunctions-to hold the blockas al unit 4against"upward displacement from position to engage with tlie'slot 3.y The locking block.- thereforer is adjustable as to lengthv tocompensate forwear or to adapt the ldevice for useto hold a lever against .swinging in one direction from'an'yone of a plurality-' of positions along the slot' Vwith -whichuthenlocking block of the device is associatedy or to adapt the-n device for use :with anyone of alplurality of `motor vehicles f having slots of :f different. lengths` similar vto theslot3. 1. f.

Obviously, ,thelinvention' is susceptible of embodiment in forms-other than-that which ,is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I 'therefore considerk as Amy ownall such modifications and adaptations' thereofy as fairlyfall withinthe scope of the appended claims. f v j 1 claim :-k

1. A locking device for a mechanism having a'; lever swingable alongaislotin -a stationary member, said `locking device ,cornprisi-ngfa, base section having a lreduced lower end portionlfitting in `said slot yin the stationary member betweenan end offsaid .slot'a and said" lever,`an upper'section adapted 'to be superimposedbn said base section, said upper section and *said base section having cooperative teeth on thefadjacent faces the'reofffor y holdingr said upper :section against sliding on `the base section Ain the tion thereof which is in line With said slot in the stationary member, and said upper section of the block having a longitudinal slot with which said vertical opening in the base section is in alinement, and a clamping screw extending through said slot in the upper section into said base section, `said screw being adjustable to clamp the upper section tightly to the base section or to permit the upper section to be slid on the base section toward said lever, as desired.

2. A locking device fora mechanism having a lever swingable along a slot in a stationary member, said locking device comprising a base section having a reduced lower end portion fitting in said slot in the stationary member between an end of said slot and said lever, an upper section adapted to be superimposed on said base section, said upper section and said base section having cooperative teeth on the adj-acent faces thereof for holdingy said upper section against sliding on the base section in the direction opposite said lever, said base section having a vertical opening in the portion thereof which is in line with said slot in the stationary member, and said upper section of the block having a longitudinal slot with which said vertical opening in the base section is in alinement, said slot in the upper section of the block having' the upper end portion thereof enlarged laterally, a clamping screw having a shank extending through said slot in the upper section, and in threaded engagement with the vertical opening in the base section, the edges of the head of said screw engaging with the laterally enlarged upper end port-ion of said slot in the upper section for holding said upper section releasably against upward displacement from adjusted position on said base section.

3. A locking device for a mechanism having a lever swingable along a slot in a stationary member, said locking device comprising a base section having a reduced lower end portion litting in said slot in the stationary member between an end of said slot and said lever, an upper section adapted to be superimposed on saidbase section, said upper section and said basesection having cooperative teeth on the adjacent faces thereof for holding said upper section against sliding on the base section in thev direction opposite said lever, said base section having a vertical opening inthe portion thereof which is in line with said slot in the stationary member, and said upper section of the block having a longitudinal slot with which said vertical opening in the base section is in alinement, and means extending through said slot in the upper section and engaging with said base section for releasably holding said upper section against upward displacement from superimposed lposition on said base section, a bar supported beneath said slot in said stationary member, a holding bar extending through the slot in the upper section of the block and through the vertical opening in the base section of the block and having a hook portion for engaging said bar,v said holding bar having transversefopenings in the portion thereof which extends above said upper section of the block, and a padlock having aishackle extending through one of said openings in the shank of thev holding bar for preventing accidental movement of said holding bar with respect to said stationary member.

THOMAS J. STEPHENSON. 

